Downtown parking fines frustrate drivers

Published: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, May 13, 2013 at 10:06 p.m.

Some visitors downtown have been surprised with citations for parking in restricted areas over the past few weekends. Although the violations were legit, the ticketed say there was an "unwritten rule" that leased lots were open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays in the past.

The city says some spaces in those lots are still open, but not the leased ones.

Brian Tribby of Hendersonville said he returned to his car parked in the city's Dogwood lot after attending a concert at the First Baptist Church between 3 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. He parked in a blue space marked "RESERVED."

A ticket was on his windshield when he returned.

"I have been attending events at First Baptist for over 20 years and have always parked in the municipal parking lot," he wrote in a letter to the Times-News. "There was an unwritten rule that, even though this is a leased parking lot, it was only used Monday through Friday by the ones leasing it and could be used by others on the weekends."

Tribby said the lot was full that day with cars of others attending the performance. Each one parked in a leased or metered spot was ticketed.

The metered spaces are free from 6 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, but the leased spots, marked with blue wheel-stops, are reserved 24/7 for those who pay for them. That rule has not changed, according to Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake.

"The city has not changed any ordinances recently, but we have put meters on spaces in the Dogwood lot that had been free," Mayor Barbara Volk said.

In October 2011, the Main Street Advisory Committee saw the need for more public parking and recommended a design that eliminated free parking within the Dogwood lot. The committee's recommendations also included a reduction in the total number of leased spaces, boosting the number of spots in the lot by 18. Two charging stations for electric cars also were added to the lot at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Church Street.

City council approved the layout changes in November 2011 and agreed to fund the project in 2012. The changes were implemented last month. Dogwood now has a total of 153 spots, including 88 metered spaces and 58 leased ones that can be guaranteed for $20 a month — the price of two parking tickets.

The new metered spaces were installed with signs indicating that fees are required for parking in the spaces from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Blake said. "There are signs indicating that the spaces in the Dogwood lot are either leased or metered at all drive-through entry points."

He said there are also signs on the meters, explaining when they are in operation.

But Tribby questioned why the charges are assessed without any warning.

"I want to think of Hendersonville as a nice place where you get a warning first, instead of a ticket," he said.

The city has five municipal lots downtown that offer about 200 metered spaces to complement the dozens of spots open to visitors on Main Street.

Sherry Schmidt, owner of Four Seasons Christmas & Garden at 225 N. Main St., said she hears customers constantly complain about a lack of parking. She hopes the city will look at installing a public parking garage.

Hendersonville's ordinance explains that "all parking meters" are "in operation between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day, except Sundays and legal holidays."

But even holiday shoppers might see restrictions in free parking. After hearing complaints from several residents and merchants about a lack of parking for customers during the busiest time of the year, the Main Street Advisory Committee proposed a limit.

The board recommended the city place a three-hour limit on metered parking spaces downtown during the holidays to encourage a turnover in spots. The board also recommended that metered spaces be included in the city's continuous parking ordinance to keep drivers from skirting the law by moving their cars to other spaces in the same block every three hours.

City council has not yet voted on the measure.

The three-hour time limit on free parking spaces downtown has irritated some drivers, and it cost at least one business a recent sale.

Norm Herrmann of Etowah said that he was ticketed on a Saturday while waiting for a clerk to return to a shop to help him with a purchase.

"Apparently, I overstayed my welcome in one of the parallel spaces which I understood to be reserved for short-term visits and deliveries during the week. I ducked out of the rain and into a shop to make a quick purchase. I soon realized that there was another item valued in the hundreds of dollars of interest to me," he wrote in a letter to the Times-News.

Herrmann and his wife ate lunch down the block and returned to make their purchase when he saw his car being cited, he said. "We left hastily and purchased the item in question in … Greenville, South Carolina."

"The situation in downtown continues to go from bad to worse," said Eva Ritchey, owner of Once Upon a Sign at 305 N. Main St. "They're giving tens of tickets on Saturday."

She added that parking is already limited. "Merchants are in a very precarious situation," she said, with limited access from ongoing construction and now from parking rules strictly monitored.

The mayor admits that the city seems to be getting a lot of complaints recently about parking tickets in city lots.

"I understand that people attending events, including church services, concerts and funerals, do not appreciate having to pay for their parking, or want to use the most convenient space. But, in fairness to those who pay for a monthly lease and to those who park to visit Main Street, the city enforces our parking ordinances," she said. "Parking is a continuing problem downtown. I wish I had a good solution for it, but I don't. We have tried to balance the needs of the business owners, employees and shoppers with the visitors and customers."

She said the city is open to suggestions at any time.

Last month, the city approved a design for improvements to Main Street's 700 block that will add 13 spaces for downtown guests.

<p>Some visitors downtown have been surprised with citations for parking in restricted areas over the past few weekends. Although the violations were legit, the ticketed say there was an "unwritten rule" that leased lots were open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays in the past.</p><p>The city says some spaces in those lots are still open, but not the leased ones.</p><p>Brian Tribby of Hendersonville said he returned to his car parked in the city's Dogwood lot after attending a concert at the First Baptist Church between 3 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. He parked in a blue space marked "RESERVED."</p><p>A ticket was on his windshield when he returned.</p><p>"I have been attending events at First Baptist for over 20 years and have always parked in the municipal parking lot," he wrote in a letter to the Times-News. "There was an unwritten rule that, even though this is a leased parking lot, it was only used Monday through Friday by the ones leasing it and could be used by others on the weekends."</p><p>Tribby said the lot was full that day with cars of others attending the performance. Each one parked in a leased or metered spot was ticketed.</p><p>The metered spaces are free from 6 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, but the leased spots, marked with blue wheel-stops, are reserved 24/7 for those who pay for them. That rule has not changed, according to Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake.</p><p>"The city has not changed any ordinances recently, but we have put meters on spaces in the Dogwood lot that had been free," Mayor Barbara Volk said. </p><p>In October 2011, the Main Street Advisory Committee saw the need for more public parking and recommended a design that eliminated free parking within the Dogwood lot. The committee's recommendations also included a reduction in the total number of leased spaces, boosting the number of spots in the lot by 18. Two charging stations for electric cars also were added to the lot at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Church Street. </p><p>City council approved the layout changes in November 2011 and agreed to fund the project in 2012. The changes were implemented last month. Dogwood now has a total of 153 spots, including 88 metered spaces and 58 leased ones that can be guaranteed for $20 a month — the price of two parking tickets.</p><p>The new metered spaces were installed with signs indicating that fees are required for parking in the spaces from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Blake said. "There are signs indicating that the spaces in the Dogwood lot are either leased or metered at all drive-through entry points."</p><p>He said there are also signs on the meters, explaining when they are in operation.</p><p>But Tribby questioned why the charges are assessed without any warning.</p><p>"I want to think of Hendersonville as a nice place where you get a warning first, instead of a ticket," he said.</p><p>The city has five municipal lots downtown that offer about 200 metered spaces to complement the dozens of spots open to visitors on Main Street. </p><p>Sherry Schmidt, owner of Four Seasons Christmas & Garden at 225 N. Main St., said she hears customers constantly complain about a lack of parking. She hopes the city will look at installing a public parking garage.</p><p>Hendersonville's ordinance explains that "all parking meters" are "in operation between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day, except Sundays and legal holidays."</p><p>But even holiday shoppers might see restrictions in free parking. After hearing complaints from several residents and merchants about a lack of parking for customers during the busiest time of the year, the Main Street Advisory Committee proposed a limit. </p><p>The board recommended the city place a three-hour limit on metered parking spaces downtown during the holidays to encourage a turnover in spots. The board also recommended that metered spaces be included in the city's continuous parking ordinance to keep drivers from skirting the law by moving their cars to other spaces in the same block every three hours.</p><p>City council has not yet voted on the measure.</p><p>The three-hour time limit on free parking spaces downtown has irritated some drivers, and it cost at least one business a recent sale.</p><p>Norm Herrmann of Etowah said that he was ticketed on a Saturday while waiting for a clerk to return to a shop to help him with a purchase.</p><p>"Apparently, I overstayed my welcome in one of the parallel spaces which I understood to be reserved for short-term visits and deliveries during the week. I ducked out of the rain and into a shop to make a quick purchase. I soon realized that there was another item valued in the hundreds of dollars of interest to me," he wrote in a letter to the Times-News.</p><p>Herrmann and his wife ate lunch down the block and returned to make their purchase when he saw his car being cited, he said. "We left hastily and purchased the item in question in … Greenville, South Carolina."</p><p>"The situation in downtown continues to go from bad to worse," said Eva Ritchey, owner of Once Upon a Sign at 305 N. Main St. "They're giving tens of tickets on Saturday."</p><p>She added that parking is already limited. "Merchants are in a very precarious situation," she said, with limited access from ongoing construction and now from parking rules strictly monitored.</p><p>The mayor admits that the city seems to be getting a lot of complaints recently about parking tickets in city lots.</p><p>"I understand that people attending events, including church services, concerts and funerals, do not appreciate having to pay for their parking, or want to use the most convenient space. But, in fairness to those who pay for a monthly lease and to those who park to visit Main Street, the city enforces our parking ordinances," she said. "Parking is a continuing problem downtown. I wish I had a good solution for it, but I don't. We have tried to balance the needs of the business owners, employees and shoppers with the visitors and customers."</p><p>She said the city is open to suggestions at any time.</p><p>Last month, the city approved a design for improvements to Main Street's 700 block that will add 13 spaces for downtown guests.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>